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TITAN smith machine vs TITAN Leverage squat machine

Written by Pascal Landshoeft | Dec 18, 2020 5:00:00 PM

TITAN smith machine vs TITAN Leverage squat machine

This is a comparison between the TITAN smith machine and the TITAN Leverage squat machine including pros, cons, and alternatives. Follow the links for more details.

 
 

Overview and review of the TITAN Leverage Squat machine $549

This is an overview of the TITAN Leverage Squat machine including pros, cons and alternatives. This article was originally posted in Which gym machine to get from TITAN. Follow the links for additional information.

Overview of the TITAN Leverage Squat machine

 
The TITAN Leverage squat machine is a good approach to squats for anyone who lacks the ankle mobility for low squats. The bottom plate is angled so that it is easier to go deep in the squat with less strain on the hips and feet. The full list of specifications includes:
 
- Add more intensity to your squats by loading up on Olympic weight plates
- Store extra plates on the base pegs to help organize your gym area & add stability
- Use the angled footplate to get leverage with your squats and calf raises
- Powder-coated steel is durable, lasts for years, and is scratch / rust resistant
- Spotter handle allows easy exit and re-entry after use
- 1,000 lbs. weight capacity
 
- Overall height: 62”
- Footprint: 58” x 44”
- Top sleeve length: 13 1/2”
- Bottom peg length: 8”
- Shoulder pad gap: 8”
- Weight: 200 lbs.
 
This is a machine for a spacious gym that has all of the other angles covered. If you want to ease people into squatting low this can be a good machine to use.
 

Pros of the TITAN leverage squat machine

 
The pros of the TITAN leverage squat machine are:
 
  • Angled foot plate
  • Price
 
The main reason to get this machine is to squat against an angled plate. This can be especially helpful for rehab or anyone lacking ankle and hip mobility to still squat deep.
 
As with all TITAN products the price you pay for a full machine as quite low. If you want to build a big arsenal of different fitness machines TITAN is one of the best places to go as your money will stretch further.
 

Cons of the TITAN leverage squat machine

 
The cons of the TITAN leverage squat machine are:
 
  • Limited use cases
  • Space requirements
 
The main disadvantage of the leverage squat machine is that it has not a lot o use cases. This is a common challenge with isolated machines that try to make things easier on the user. If you are strapped for cash and space the leverage squat machine is not a smart choice. If you want to buy something to train your legs you probably wantto go for a rack, squat belt machine, or hack squat instead depending on your budget and preferences.
 
In addition to the limited use cases the TITAN leverage squat machine also takes up considerable footprint in your gym. It will eat up the same amount of space as a squat rack would. So if you only have space for a rack or a leverage squat machine it is pretty clear what you need to do.
 

Alternatives to the TITAN leverage squat machine

 
Alternatives to the TITAN leverage squat machine are:
 
 
The TITAN hack squat leg press is the better option for a home gym owner looking into a squat machine from TITAN. While it costs a little more it doubles up as 2 machines in the frame of one. You will be able to do reasonably heavy leg presses and hack squats  which provides more bang for your space and buck compared to the leverage squat machine. Especially if you buy a squat machine as an addition to a home gym with an already existing rack. For a commercial gym the TITAN hack squat leg press might not be the right choice, as a 2:1 solution for a broader audience usually means to higher cost of instructing people how to use it or higher injury risk and insurance liabilities.
 
The TITAN belt squat machine is another alternative to the leverage squat machine. It is also closer in price to the Leverage squat machine than the TITAN hack squat leg press. The TITAN belt squat is a great option for powerlifters and weightlifters who want to get more squat volume in. The belt squat will take off some load from your lower back and shoulders so that you can focus on blowing up your quads and glutes without risking injury. Belt squats are very popular with seasoned lifters who go through a lot of volume to give themselves a break. In a commercial setting a belt squat makes sense when your clients are more into heavy lifting and the iron game. If your clients are more into machines, the leverage squat machine is the better choice.
 
The TITAN smith machine is another alternative to the Leverage squat machine. If you are getting the leverage squat machine to appeal to beginners than the TITAN smith machine might be the better choice. A smith machine also makes squatting easier and less scary for those who are not proficient in the movement pattern. In addition the smith machine can also be used as plate storage and for other exercises than squatting. I am personally not a huge fan of smith machines due to the cumbersome raking system they provide, but I do think they are still a better option for most gyms than a leverage squat machine.
 
The Rogue Rhino is the gold standard in belt squat machines currently available on the market. Compared to the TITAN belt squat there was more thought put in to the engineering as it works with a pulley system. This makes the lifting experience closer to the actual barbell workload as the weight is not on a frame which wraps around you. Compared to the TITAN leverage squat machine it makes squatting easier, but provides this result in very different way.
 
The Rogue leg press machine is the current gold standard for leg  press machines in the market. If you need to provide facilities for a bunch of NFL linemen and you worried about that they might shred any other equipment you could buy from TITAN, than the Rogue Leg press machine will get the job done. Apart from being build like a tank you can also move the platform for each leg separately. All exciting things come also at an exciting price and the Rogue Leg press is no exception. It retails for around $4000 and is therefore not suitable for most home gym environments.
 

Conclusion for the TITAN leverage squat machine

 
The TITAN leverage squat machine is an addition to the arsenal of professional gym that already has all of the other major machines in their arsenal. These include a rack, leg press, prone curl and lat tower. Get those machines first before even thinking about a leverage squat machine in my opinion. In a home gym this machine will be just be a waste of space unless you live in a mega mansion. Some bodybuilders like the idea of being able to attack their muscles from every angle that is humanly possible. Apart from this I do not so a lot of use cases for this machine.
 

Overview and review of the TITAN Smith machine $1069

This is an overview of the TITAN smith machine including pros, cons and alternatives. This article was originally posted in Which gym machine to get from TITAN. Follow the links for additional information.

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Overview of the TITAN Smith machine

 
A smith machine can be used to train your entire body with barbell presses, squats, bench presses and other movements. The main distinguishing feature of a smith machine is that the bar path is fixed as the barbell is attached to the frame. This makes a smith machine less intimidating for beginners than a rack with free weights. The TITAN smith machine is competitively priced and has some extra features that many other Smith machines do not have. The full feature list includes:
 
 
- Knurled barbell with 13.25-in of loadable space on the sleeves.
- (6) 8-in Olympic Weight Storage Posts.
- Band pegs on either side allow for added resistance.
- Two J-hooks attached to the bar takes a quick flick of the wrist to lock into 8 safe positions when finished with the exercise.
- Two safety catches can be adjusted to set before a lift to prevent injuries in the case of failed reps.
- Counter-balance function included!
- Four rubber pads on the feet of the Smith Machine protect flooring from unwanted scuffing and provide stability.
 
- Overall Height: 86-in.
- Overall Width: 66.5-in.
- Overall Depth: 54-in.
- Weight Capacity: 600 lb.
- Weight: 261 lb.
 
This is a solid machine for any commercial gym that wants to add a smith machine in their line up. Home gym owners will be better off getting a rack with a barbell instead.
 

Pros of the TITAN Smith machine

 
The pros of the TITAN smith machine are:
 
  • Plate storage on rack
  • Pins for band work
  • Price
 
Compared to other Smith machines in the market TITAN has done a good job to maximize the use of the frame of the rack for this Smith machine. You will have multiple pins to store plates on included in your shipment. This makes storing plates easy. Some other Smith machines in the market have massive frames and only eat up space without providing storage options.
 
Another great addition to this particular Smith machine are the pins for bands. Taken from the west side method approach of training you can attach bands to the TITAN smith machine which are provided at the bottom of the structure. Just make sure to bolt the machine to the ground of you do this as band work is one of the top reasons to topple racks that have it been bolted to the ground.
 
Keeping the price of this massive Smith machine around $1000 ja TITAN written all over it. It is their specialty to offer big fitness equipment at roughly half of the price of the competition and this Smith machine is no exception.
 

Cons of the TITAN Smith machine

 
The cons for the TITAN smith machine are:
 
  • Awkward racking mechanism
  • Space requirements
  • Attached barbell
  • Instructions / customer service
 
The mechanism to lock or unlock a barbell on a smith machine is in my opinion one of the biggest design flaws you can find in a commercial gym. Why smith machines have gotten so popular is beyond me. The mechanism provides a false sense of security to the user. If you fail a rep you still have to twist your wrists under strain to lock the bar back into position. While this is ok but not great for the bench press, for the squat it is near impossible. Combined with the fact that the bar is attached to the frame this can lead to some nasty accidents where you are folded like lawn chair under the weight. With a free weight you can at least just dump it off your back as a last resort. In my opinion smith machines provide little advantage for the risks they pose, especially to inexperienced trainees.
 
Everything you can do with a smith machine you can do with a rack and a barbell. Probably even better. This is why this machine eats up to much space for any home gym. Unless you are the Rock and have a whole crew of people carrying an entire commercial gym around for you. There is something to be said for quad development out of high rep smith machine squats. You do get a different pump out of the smith machine as there is less room to work with the supporting muscles from the back. Still, this is only interesting for full time bodybuilders and does not justify to give up valuable home gym space where you could place a rack instead.
 
The fact that the barbell is attached makes it less versatile than a rack. The barbell an get in the way of exercises, especially if you need to use the space inside the smith machine because you are short on space. Again a barbell and rack is the better choice and you can get this for the same budget from TITAN.
 
TITAN needs to cut some corners to offer you consistent competitive pricing on all of their product range. This is why across the board their customer service and manuals or not as good as the ones of their competitors Rogue and Eleiko. You are also more likely to have parts missing on your shipment or that they do not fit smoothly. This can happen with other, higher priced products, too, but the likelihood is lower. Quality management and consistency in production are good ways to cut cost. These processes are expensive is they are Labour intensive and also assume that some of the production gets discarded due to lack of quality. You can not do that of your strategy is to be the cheapest in the narbet which is exactly what TITAN prides themselves one. Got for your wallet, but expect some minor issues, especially with products that have a lot of moving parts like a smith machine.
 

Alternatives to the TITAN smith machine

 
 
If you have $1000 to spent on equipment I think you are better off to shell it out on a rack and barbell than a smith machine. A good rack from TITAN can be had at $500. A decent one would even start at $200. The Atlas bar comes in at around $200 and a set of 230lbs bumper plates is $375 from TITAN.
 
If you want to get a machine for training your legs it think the TITAN leg press is the better option than the smith machine. It comes in at roughly the same price. This machine can be heavily loaded, provides security to people who do not want to use a barbell, and you can work the ranges of motion that are hard to stay in for long in a barbell squat. If I wanted to blow up my legs and had space and key to add to my gym above and beyond a rack, a leg press would be high up my list.
 
The Titan belt squat machine is another way of getting more squat volume in your training without trashing your wer back. Belt squat machines are popular for quad development with powerlifters and weightlifters. The big advantage is here that the movement pattern is not predefined and you have less compression on your spine.
 

Conclusion for the TITAN Smith machine

 
The TITAN smith machine has a great price and some little extra features which make it an excellent Smith machine to get. The only problem for me is that I think that all Smith machines are a waste of space and should be replaced with a belt squat, extra rack or leg press, depending on what you already have. If you have the space and money to collect all different types of machines, do it. Still, a smith machine would only enter my gym to complete a collection for the sale of it, rather than because I think it is a good idea for my clients.
 
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